Wireless data traffic has been increasing on wireless communication networks as the amount of data services that use the wireless communication network has increased. More users are using wireless communication devices that have a high demand for data. To boost system capacity and enhance coverage performance heterogeneous network (HetNet) deployments may be implemented.
A HetNet may refer to a wireless communication network that may use multiple types of access nodes in a wireless network. Each node may include one or more cells. The HetNet can use macrocells and small cells (e.g., picocells, femtocells, and/or WiFi network elements) to offer coverage in a wireless communication network. The coverage area of the macrocell may include or overlap with the coverage area of a small cell. Small cells may enable a user device to receive data at increased data rates depending on the location of the user device within the service areas.
Implementation of a HetNet in a wireless communication network may be complex and/or inefficient. As a HetNet may have multiple cells communicating within a coverage area, communications from the cells may cause interference. On the other hand a wireless terminal in the coverage area of the HetNet and communicating with a macrocell may cause interference to small cells, since the wireless terminal typically needs a higher transmission power for communications in the macrocell than in the small cells due to DL-UL imbalance effect. Accordingly, interference control in the communication network may become particularly difficult due to the variety of different types of cells in the HetNet.